Twenty years ago, technological innovations were driven by demand from large companies, governments and the military. Today, the world is led by consumerism, and meeting consumers' needs has become the reason for all innovations.According the organizer of IFA noted that the debt crises in Greece, Spain and Ireland cannot be seen as an economic crisis of the whole Europe, which remains one of the biggest consumer markets of the world. To understand the trends of this consumer market, one needs to understand Berlin, the mainstay of the European economy and finance.Industrial innovation directed by consumers, instead of enterprisesJens Heithecker, Executive Director of IFA, gave a speech on why the consumer is the decision-maker for the industry's future. He pointed out the first rule of the industrial innovation nowadays is "consumerization." Marc Andreessen, founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, shared his view about consumerization. Andreessen said that many exciting developments of IT technologies first appear in the consumer market before heading towards other areas. Companies also provide personalized devices.Heithecker said that in the 1990s, industrial innovations were meant to meet the demand of large companies, research centers and the military. With the rise of Internet, the situation has gradually changed, with innovations intended more for consumers. Now it is an age of individuals, and innovations are starting to be first inspired and guided by consumers' needs before finding their own ways into enterprises and governments.He cited two IT giants as illustrations: Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft thrived in the 1990s because the company provided innovative technologies to fulfill demands of enterprises. But Apple's high market value and wide influence in 2012 has come from the fact that its innovations have always been meant for consumers.The market trend has also turned from traditional PCs to mobile Internet devices. The Economist remarked in 2011 that the Wintel era, dominated by PCs running Microsoft Windows and Intel chips, was drawing to a close.According to various market research done by enterprises, investment companies or governments, from 1981 to 1993, there were 100 million PCs in the world. By 2008, the number had grown to one billion. It is expected that by 2020, there will be 10 billion Intrernet-connected mobile devices in the world.That leads us to the second rule of industrial innovation: "mobility." The Economist mentioned in 2011 that society is changing with more and more people trusting or even relying on online shopping and activities on social networks, and they are looking to access these Internet services and computing capabilities from more locations.A new high-tech environment of mobility has begun taking shape. Heithecker emphasized that it is not just those computing capabilities, services, mobile sites and apps that should be made available on the Internet. Content and personal data should also be accessed anytime, anywhere on any devices. Mobility means "ubiquitously connected."The IFA showcase of the 'ubiquitously connected world' for consumers and by consumersHeithecker further stressed that in this present era, everything is "for consumers" and "by consumers." The IFA exhibition opens every year from late August to early September in Messe Berlin, gathering manufactures and traders of consumer electronics from all over the world to showcase their latest products and technologies.IFA attracts thousands of buyers, local citizens and personnel from local and international media establishments. Not only mobile devices are shown at IFA; there are also all kinds of digital gadgets, including smart TVs and intelligent home appliances that form an ubiquitously connected life.During IFA 2011, 38,569 international buyers (56% Y/Y growth) visited the exhibition. The fair attracted 2,181 foreign press people (16% Y/Y growth) and 6,189 local ones (2% Y/Y growth). A total of 1,441 companies (1% Y/Y growth) exhibited at the show.IFA offers a large indoor space at 28 exhibition centers/halls. There are seven areas: *Home Entertainment: Hall 3.2, Hall 4.2, Hall 5.2, Hall 6.2b, Hall 7, Hall 8, Hall 10, Hall 11, Hall 18, Hall 20, Hall 21, Hall 22, Hall 23 and Hall 25*Audio Entertainment: Hall 1.2, and Hall 2.2b*Home Appliance: Hall 3.1, Hall 4.1, Hall 5.1, Hall 6.1, Hall 7.1, Hall 8.1, and Hall 10.1*IFA My Media: Hall 13, Hall 14, Hall 15, Hall 16, Hall 17, and Hall X19*Public Media: Hall 2.2a, and Sommergarten plaza*IFA Communication: Hall 6.2a, and Hall 9*Technology & Component: Hall 5.2, Hall 11.1, Hall 26, Hall 27, and Hall 28People may wonder: since IFA is at the heart of Europe, which is being hit by an economic crisis, what benefits may there be to join the show? Heithecker noted that only three European countries are heavily influenced by the debt crisis, namely Greece, Spain and Ireland, and their situations cannot be seen a crisis of the entire continent.According to statistics, in 2011 Europe was the largest market of consumer electronics with a share of 27%, and it will remain number one through the end of 2012. China accounted for 22%, the US for 21%, Asia-Pacific for 13%, Latin America for 11%, and Africa and Middle East for 6%.According to statistics and estimation provided by World Bank in 2011, German, France, the UK, Italy and Sweden saw their GDP decrease 3-5% in 2009, while the global GDP dropped 2.3% on average. Eastern Europe was in a more difficult situation where countries there saw GDP decrease 4-14.5%, except for Poland, whose GDP grew 2%. In 2010 and 2011, Italy had only a 0.5% growth, but most other Western European nations recovered with 1-5.5% growth, while Eastern European countries had 1-7% growth.Heithecker said all IFA booths this year have been booked up. As the most important trade event of consumer electronics in the world, IFA 2011 achieved orders up to US$4.8 billion, and attracted more international media attention than ever. IFA 2012 takes place from August 31 to September 5 in Berlin.Jens Heithecker, Executive Director, IFA

Mobile devices nowadays offer more and more functions with screen sizes bigger than ever. However, the increased interactivity is challenged by the limit of battery life. In addition, people need to link their mobile devices to large LCD TVs to display their proposal, diagrams, video conference and games.Besides HDMI and micro-HDMI, the mobile phone industry alliance has introduced MHL interface technology. Using the present micro-USB port, the MHL interface not only outputs 1080p video to large displays, it can also charge via the display as a source of power supply, enabling mobile devices to output images with better quality and enhanced power.Mobile devices require large displays for HD video outputDavid Kuo, Director of Product Marketing for Mobile Devices at Silicon Image, Inc, said that according to the estimation of InStar in November, 2011, by the year of 2015, there will be 2.5 billion mobile devices in the world, including mobile phones, tablets, cameras and other gadgets, and applications for mobile viewing will also be a major market trend.From digital cameras, Blu-ray players, notebooks, wireless gateways/routers, tablet PCs and smartphones, standards have evolved from VGA into 1080p (1920x1080 full HD). Processors have progressed from dual-core to quad-core, and mobile communication from 3G to 4G broadband. Gaming on mobile devices is no longer limited to simple games, but serious action games even 3D ones that are competitive to those on video game consoles.The limit of mobile devices nowadays is the screen size. The bigger screen it has, the better interactivity it provides. But the screen size and battery life vary inversely: the bigger the screen, the shorter life the battery.Mobile devices are also often linked to large-size displays: displaying proposal data from the smartphone by linking the device to a projector; doing video conferencing on smartphones with an HDTV; or playing games downloaded to the smartphones on a large display.Kuo also pointed out that in order to provide the best connectivity among mobile devices and other peripherals, the video transfer interface of the new generation mobile devices needs to support HD audio & video output, interactivity without video delay, compatibility with mobile devices of common sizes. These devices must be powered by batteries and easy to design.MHL: An aggressive competitor among HD output interfacesAt present, there are several interfaces supporting HD output: HDMI; MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) introduced by MHL Consortium; and WirelessHD. They all provide high quality, interacting and real-time HD viewing experiences. Since its introduction in 2004, HDMI interface has been built in more than three billion devices. However, the size of HDMI ports on TVs and notebooks are still too big. To solve this problem, mini-HDMI (Type C) ports and even smaller micro-HDMI (Type D) ports have been invented, the latter also compatible with present smartphones.As for the new MHL interface technology, it can also output 1080p60 full HD video supporting transmission of HD photos, HD videos, video conferencing and digital audio. Its back channel enables user to control the HDTV and the smartphone simultaneously with the remote control or touch panel on the HDTV, and MHL also allows users to simultaneously charge their connected devices.The MHL interface is connection agnostic, which means it works without being tied to a specific type of connector, as long as it provides these signals: HD video/audio, data and power. The MHL eco-system has formed: There are standards and related testing equipment; there are MHL Tx, Rx component and MHL IP for SoCs; and more than 100 MHL products have been developed. In 2011, more than 50 million MHL-enabled devices were shipped in the world, and it is predicted that over 100 million for devices with MHL built-in will be shipped in 2012.The following are displays with the MHL interface that can be found on the market: Samsung SmartTV 7000 and 8000 series LED TV (available in 46", 55" and 60"); LG LM9600, LM8500, LM7600 and LM6700; SHARP LC-xxLE745U, LC-xxC7450U, LC-xxLE845U, LC-xxLE847U, LC-xxLE8470U, and LCD-xxLX840A; Toshiba WL800A series LED HDTV; Samsung 7 Smart Station and HDTV display (available in 24" and 27").As for MHL mobile devices, there are: HTC smartphones including Sensation, Sensation XE, EVO 3D, EVO 4G LTE, Amaze, resound, Vivid, Raider, One X and One S; HTC tablets Flyer and Jetscream; Acer smartphone CloudMobile; Fujutsu ARROWS Z ISW13F; Sharp Aquos ISW16SH; Samsung Galaxy S2, Infuse, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S3; LG Optimus LTE II, Optimus LTE, Nitro HD, Spectrum, Optimus 3D Max, Optimus 4X, Optimus LTE Tag; Pantech Vega LTE; Lenovo S2; Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S, Ascend D1, D1 Quad; ZTE PF200, Era; and Meizu Mx, OPPO Find3.Other products and gadgets with the MHL interface: Onkyo AV Receiver; Sharp Aquos Media Station BD-AMS10U & BD-AMS20U, Roku Streaming Stick; Renesas Ultra-Compact STB Reference Board; Pioneer AppRadio 2 In-Dash Car Receiver, and MHL to HDMI, MHL to VGA connectors, MHL docks and MHL cables.Technical differences between HDMI and MHLHDMI uses 19-pin HDMI connector for connection. The output end transmits video/audio and power signals to the input end, while EDID/HDCP and CEC signals are transmitted from both ends. Therefore, when the smartphone is connected to the monitor via HDMI, the power signal needs to be sent from the output end (which is the smartphone), which consumes power.There is usually one micro USB port on smartphones, and if a micro HDMI port is added, users may be confused by their similarity. The micro HDMI port will also increase the costs of components, such as transmitter ICs, connectors, ESD diodes, and CM chokes. It also occupies more space on the PCB. Therefore, the micro HDMI port may be feasible for tablet PCs, but not for smaller mobile devices.As for the MHL interface, the output end transmits video/audio signals, but the EDID/HDCP/remote control and power signals are transmitted from the input end to the output end. The MHL connector has only five pins, and can be used the connector for any mobile device.MHL Consortium is promoting the MHL interface in the form of the most popular micro USB connector. With a MHL transmitter chip and a micro USB connector, transfer of HD video/audio, as well as USB data transfer and charging can all be performed. By adopting this single connector with multi functions, manufacturers can remove the material cost for the second set of video connectors, save PCB space and improve the look and design of the device.Advantage of 60Hz WirelessHD technologyKuo also mentioned about WirelessHD, a 60GHz, almost non-delay 1080p60 wireless video transfer technology. The present 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi technology allows users to stream video via the DLNA protocol, but when it comes to transferring 1080p60 video, the video need to be compressed first, and there can be delay for more than one second, which is quite obvious for users when playing games. Encode/decode signals are written on the original video; as a result, the video player will need to consume more CPU resource or require a high efficiency H.264 codec chip. Also, as Wi-Fi is a structure of bandwidth sharing, once it is accessed by other users, the bandwidth may not be sufficient for transmitting videos.The 60GHz WirelessHD is a solution similar to connecting cables, with one-way bandwidth up to 4GBps. The bandwidth is 100% for video transmission only. It allows 1920x1080p60 uncompressed HD video transmission, and delays under 3ms, which users can hardly feel. It is ideal for interactive HD video and gaming.Kuo concluded that the ability to connect HD video to a large display is the key to the development of ultimate and interactive mobile devices. HDMI, MHL and WirelessHD can all bring users high quality and interactive HD experience. For wired HDMI, MHL to WirelessHD, there are solutions readily available from Silicon Image.David Kuo, Director of Product Marketing for Mobile Devices, Silicon Image

As the trends for cloud computing and mobility intensify, online video streaming often experiences serious lags. Now consumers are asking for flash storage devices of larger capacity and faster performance. Leading flash memory vendors are well aware of the demand for faster performance from upstream servers, midstream access networks and downstream mobile terminal devices, and they keep offering comprehensive performance-boosting solutions. Competitiveness coming from memory technology, system expertise and production capacity is the key to sustainable leadership in this cut-throat market of flash memory.Device mobility boosts demand for flash memoryOne of the IDC forecasts quoted by Dan Inbar, senior vice president and general manager of OEM Business Unit at SanDisk, estimates that the digital world of data will grow to 2.72 zettabytes by 2012, when more mobile devices with extreme performance are scheduled to launch. Data centers are expected to become more responsive, as by 2016 each mobile device will have an average capacity of 38GB.Inbar said according to statistics published by Gartner in first-quarter 2012, global smartphone shipments reached 500 million units in 2011, with an average flash capacity at merely 7GB per device. Global handset shipments are expected to hit 1.35 billion units by 2016, and the average flash capacity will rise to 26GB. In 2011, nearly 70 million tablet PCs were sold with an average flash capacity at 24GB per device. Tablet shipments are estimated at nearly 380 million in 2016, and the average flash capacity will increase to about 46GB per machine.As for SSDs, only 17 million notebook PCs were shipped with SSDs in 2011 with an average SSD capacity at 126GB. By 2016, global shipments of SSD-equipped notebooks will reach 100 million units with an average 319GB flash capacity.For enterprise SSDs, only five million servers with SSDs were shipped in 2011, with an average 214GB SSD capacity. The shipments are expected to surpass 20 million units by 2016, and the average SSD capacity per server will rise to 1,248GB, increasing nearly six-fold from 2011.Enabling faster data transferInbar pointed out that SanDisk has enabled faster data transfer by launching a 64GB, UHSI-compatible Class 6 micro memory card, microSDXC, with 30MB/s read speed. A 64GB ultra mini USB drive that can be directly inserted into USB ports is also available now. According to market surveys conducted by SanDisk itself, UBS flash drives sold as tie-ins with mobile devices or via retail channels neared 500 million units in 2011, and the figure is expected to grow year by year to over 700 million in 2015.Inbar mentioned that a combination of maximum-performance enterprise servers and storage is the first node for cloud computing service. Access networks that provide data, in 3G, 3.5G, 4G WiMAX or LTE, are the middle node, while end devices are at the last node with maximum mobility. For content delivery at YouTube, Amazon, NetFlix and Hulu, online shopping/payment mechanism and client analytics of Walmart and VISA, or cloud service providers like Facebook, Google and iCloud, cloud data needs to be delivered in a faster manner. Flash memory technology will redefine performance.Solutions for faster delivery by devices/networks upstream, mid-stream and downstream in the cloudInbar said a second-quarter 2011 Bytemobile Mobile analytic report found 60% of total mobile data was video in 2011, but users complained that there was a 40% chance of experiencing lags while streaming videos. In a bid to address these challenges of video lags, SanDisk has come up with a set of solutions to problems from upstream to downstream.First is the solution for enterprise servers. SanDisk found that while only one third of CPU capacity is utilized at any time, disk I/O is often almost in full load with over 90% utilization. If flash I/O is properly applied, the load for server CUP and disk I/O can be simultaneously reduced to below 50%. This will double the density of virtual server to increase the efficiency of cloud services.The second solution concerns client computers. Installing a SanDisk iSSD, with small package size at 0.5mm pitch 156Ball BGA and capacity ranging from 8, 16, 24, 32 64 to 128GB, will help. It is also equipped with SATA 6Gbps high-speed interface and a max read up to 450MB/s and max write 350MB/s. With SanDisk's nCashe cache technology, core OS, log files and recent data can be stored in iSSD and accelerate operation of the entire system.The third solution is for access networks. Through a time shifting strategy during peak and off-peak time of mobile base station utilization, most of the day time is allocated for communications while the off-peak network bandwidth at night is used for massive data transmission. Mobile devices can also adopt smart caching technology to store streamed content into flash, and transfer the data to DRAM with rule-based caching. Lastly, when a mobile device is brought home for downloading, it can automatically detect wireless gateways/routers and use the PC for side loading. Preloading of possibly useful multimedia files/documents via Wi-Fi of higher bandwidth can also relieve the burden of mobile download.Flash memory companies are rising to the challengesInbar believes there are four key elements for flash memory companies to cope with these ever-expanding challenges: the first is memory technology, and the second is system expertise. SanDisk has a good command of controllers, firmware, algorithms and ECC that support various chipsets, OSs and leading industrial standards. For example, the 50MB/s eMMC v4.2 specified by JEDEC in 2009 was mostly applied in feature phones, smartphones, tablets, digital still cameras and video recorders.From 2010 to 2011, JEDEC raised the eMMC v4.3/v4.4 transfer speed to 100MB/s so the application extended to larger-size and dual-core smartphones, tablets and digital camcorders. With the eMMC v4.5 standard being drafted by JEDEC from 2012 to 2013, the transfer speed will be raised to 200MB/s and an IOPS interface for multitasking I/O will be included so that it can be applied to ultrabooks, multi-core tablets, smart TVs and cloud servers. SanDisk will offer a complete series of flash memory products for various devices ranging from PNDs, e-book readers, budget feature phones, potable multimedia players, portable game consoles, digital camcorders, superphones, tablet PCs, x86 tablets, and other ultrathin devices.SanDisk has conducted a cloud server test, finding that without optimization, there were a large number of inconsistency occurrences while doing 256KB writes. The system's latency mostly falls between 300ms and 1,600ms with some cases even reaching 5,500 ms. After being optimized with flash acceleration technology, the number of inconsistency occurrences were greatly reduced.The third key element is the integration of manufacturing capability and capacity. In addition to its existing 200mm wafer plant, a 300mm fab at Japan's Mie Prefecture in a joint venture between SanDisk and Toshiba started mass production in July 2011. With sufficient supply of flash memory wafers, SanDisk also set up a packaging/testing plant in China in 2007 to cater to demand in the local mobile device market.The fourth key element mentioned by Inbar was an eye on the future of storage. By 2016 each tablet will require an average flash memory capacity of 46GB, and the key solutions include high speed memory card, eMMC and SSD with COB or traditional flash IC designs.Average capacity of smartphones will reach 26GB by adopting high speed memory card, eMMC and iSSD as key solutions. Average capacity of notebooks, ultrabooks and PCs will reach 319GB with eMMC and SSD being key solutions. Capacity of most memory cards and USBs will increase to an average 25GB, offering up to 128GB capacity limit and 95MB/s speed in COB or flash IC designs. Finally, average flash capacity of data centers/servers will rise to 1,248GB, providing high-end, high-speed SSD solutions such as SATA, SAS and PCIe.Dan Inbar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of OEM Business Unit at SanDisk

The first generation Wi-Fi launched 15 years ago brought forth wireless LAN (WLAN) applications, and the newer Wi-Fi standards that ensued have been providing faster transmission to notebooks, smartphones, and tablets. Over the past few years, Wi-Fi has even become available to consumer electronics and peripherals.In terms of the emerging home applications, however, Wi-Fi 802.11g and 802.11n in the existing 2.4GHz band can no longer meet the requirement for HD streaming video transmission. As a result, 5G Wi-Fi - faster than 1 Gbps - is forthcoming.Wireless video transmission expedited by 5G Wi-FiThe trademark of 5G Wi-Fi can be noticed at the exhibition halls of Computex 2012 and on the shuttle buses for the event. This is what Michael Hurlston said at his key note speech for "Computex Taipei Digitimes Tech Forum 2012 - Mobile Technology." Hurlston is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Wireless Combo Connectivity Line of Business, Broadcom. He also noted 5G Wi-Fi-related products exhibited by some companies at Computex.Why is there the 5G Wi-Fi standard? What are the benefits of the standard? According to Hurlston, Wi-Fi dominates all the applications of digital home devices and every consumer needs Wi-Fi. According to a Broadcom survey of about 1,000 people in America, 60% of the respondents said that they cannot do without Wi-Fi on any single day; 39% said that they are willing to give up drinking coffee for one month in exchange for Wi-Fi; and 50% are willing to give up Facebook for one month in exchange for Wi-Fi.Videos amounted to 29.5% of the global network traffic in 2009, and the percentage increased to 42.7% and 53.6% respectively in 2010 and 2011, but the explosive growth of videos is just beginning. According to VNI's statistics and forecast in June 2011, more than 50% of the global network packet traffic comes from video transmission and network streaming traffic alone exceeds 1 ExaBytes. By 2015, the percentage of online video traffic is expected to exceed 91% and 7 ExaBytes, four times of the traffic in 2012.Prevalent Wi-Fi for PC, mobile devices, and consumer electronicsAccording to Hurlston, as online video traffic is on the rise globally, the types of devices for online video viewing have started to change. According to a Sandvine Broadband Report in October 2011, 90% of online video viewing used to rely on desktops and 10% used to rely on game consoles, smart TV, set-top boxes (STBs), tablet devices, and smartphones, but now only 45% rely on desktops while 55% rely on game consoles, smart TV, set-top boxes, tablet devices, smartphones, and other mobile devices.He noted the ongoing increase of Wi-Fi applications and types of Wi-Fi devices. In 2008, Wi-Fi was built in on smartphones, notebooks and game consoles, but since then built-in Wi-Fi has been expanding to smart TV, set-top boxes, vehicle electronics and entertainment systems. The number of Wi-Fi built-in devices around the world is expected to exceed 3.2 billions in 2012, and then smart meters, e-healthcare devices, remote control helicopters, and even refrigerators as well as laundry machines will have Wi-Fi built in. The number of Wi-Fi built-in devices around the world is expected to exceed five billions by 2014.When Wi-Fi 801.11n - the mainstream standard at present - was introduced in 2007, continuous transmission of massive streaming videos of high definition as required by today's mobile devices and consumer electronics had not been expected. As a result, 5G Wi-Fi is the only solution now.Wi-Fi evolution and technology advancementAccording to Hurlston, from 1997 to 1998, speed of the 1st-generation Wi-Fi 802.11 was only 2Mbps. From 1999 to 2001, the 2nd-generation Wi-Fi 802.11b accelerated wireless transmission to 11Mbps. From 2002 to 2006, the 3rd-generation Wi-Fi 802.11g/a increased it to 54Mbps. From 2007 to 2011, the 4th-generation Wi-Fi 802.11n raised the limit to 600Mbps (4 channels). The current limit is 450Mbps (3 channels).The 5G Wi-Fi 802.11ac launched in 2012 enables single-channel transmission at 450Mbps, three times of 150Mbps of 802.11n. At present, 802.11ac supports four MIMO channels (1.8Gbps) and will support up to eight MIMO channels. Therefore, the mainstream design of three transreceiver antennas for MIMO may reach 1.35Gbps. 5G Wi-Fi 802.11ac is also compatible with 802.11n (2.4GHz/5Ghz).Hurlston pointed out the features of 5G Wi-Fi as the following:(1) Highest speed of streaming video transmission.(2) Higher capacity for networking of more devices.(3) Wider network coverage that is three to four times of the existing 802.11n to reduce dead spots.(4) A longer battery life resulting from faster transmission that shortens the time required for high power consumption. At present, 5G Wi-Fi is able to concurrent transmit three HD 1080p streaming videos.HD streaming video playing evidenced by 5G Wi-Fi device demoHurlston also invited a Broadcom colleague for a 5G Wi-Fi device demonstration. The colleague unveiled three large-size LCD TVs on the stage. The three TVs played Iron Man, Lorax, and John Carter respectively, using Broadcom's 5G Wi-Fi chip-based wireless multimedia gateway to concurrently play three full HD 1080p videos by wireless transmission without any delay. Concurrent output of four full HD videos is also doable.In terms of file transmission, 5G Wi-Fi enables less packet synchronizations than Wi-Fi 802.11n. It was clocked onsite that transmission of a video of more than 900MB by a 5G Wi-Fi device took only 33-40% of time required for transmission by a 802.11n device. 5G Wi-Fi - because of its speediness and power efficiency - is very suitable for mobile device video transmission.Available products and applicationsAccording to Hurlston, Broadcom debuted its 5G Wi-Fi chipset at CES 2012. The dual-band chipset, which supports 2.4G/5GHz and meets the 802.11ac standard, has won support from wireless network equipment suppliers. Netgear has been the first company supporting 802.11n/802.11ac by launching its A6200 USB adapter as well as R6200 and R6300 wireless routers. Other wireless router and multimedia bridge products launched later to support 5G Wi-Fi include Buffalo AC1300, Air Station WZR-D1800H, and WLI-H4-D300H. Broadcom has become the first ever 5G Wi-Fi equipment supplier in the physical market.The China-based Datang Telecom Technology has announced its 5G Wi-Fi access device adoption. Asustek Computer has announced its RT-AC66U router across 2.4G/5G with the 2.4G band (802.11n) supporting transmission at 400Mbps and the 5G band (802.11ac) supporting transmission at 1,350Mbps. A total bandwidth of 1,750Mbps is available for transmission. Hurlston also mentioned the availability of upcoming wireless routers such as D-Link DIR-865L, Belkin AC1000 and AC1200, Tenda W1800R, and EDIMAX BR-6673AC.Hurlston noted that a complete 5G Wi-Fi ecosystem is being established, for example, ASUS G75VW shown at Computex is the world's first ever gaming notebook with 5G Wi-Fi built in and ASUS P8Z77V motherboard also has 5G Wi-Fi built in.According to Hurlston, the core products with 5G Wi-Fi built in for the first half of 2012 are wireless routers and notebooks, and there will be backbone devices of wireless routers each equipped with two or three antennas in the second half of this year. In the first half of 2013, 5G Wi-Fi will become available to desktops, laptops, smart TV, and set-top boxes. In the second half of the year, it will become available to every type of mobile devices including smart phones, tablets, game consoles, and digital cameras.It is Hurlston's expectation that there will be more choices of 5G Wi-Fi applications and devices to provide better experiences. The latest 5G Wi-Fi guidelines and industry news are available at: http://www.5gwifi.org/Michael Hurlston, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Combo Connectivity Line of Business, Broadcom

The IT industry is becoming more mobile as cloud services and mobile computing are increasingly prevalent, while there is a demand for mobile device projection on screens of different sizes anytime and anywhere to enable presentations and video playing. This will be a requirement for any new mobile device.In order to help developers of mobile applications and manufacturers of mobile devices to grasp the essence of mobile solutions and technologies, Digitimes hosted the "Computex Taipei Digitimes Tech Forum 2012 - Mobile Technology" on June 6 at Taipei International Convention Center, inviting Broadcom, Nvidia, MIPS, SanDisk, Silicon Image, IFA in Berlin, JDC, IPMS, as well as academic and industry representatives to share the latest trends of multi-core processors, wireless networking, storage, video transmission, and touch control.Prevalence of mobile videos and solutions to faster wireline and wireless transmission solutions driven by HD external outputAccording to Michael Hurlston from Broadcom, videos amount to 53.6% of the global network traffic, and the devices for viewing online videos are becoming increasingly diverse. Now 2.4GHz Wi-Fi no longer suffices and in 2012, 5G Wi-Fi (802.11ac) operating on the 5GHz band increases the speed of single-channel transmission by three times for an ordinary gateway with three trans-receiver antennas to concurrently transmit three streaming videos of 1080p at 1.35 Gbps; 5G Wi-Fi (802.11ac) is also compatible with the existing Wi-Fi.According to David Kuo from Silicon Image, micro-HDMI (Type D) is suitable for smartphones and the new MHL interface is capable of 1080p output, while HDTV and cell phones can be simultaneously controlled by HDTV remote control or touch control and there is also a rechargeable power supply design for cell phones. Moreover, 60GHz wireless HD transmission features a proprietary unilateral bandwidth of 4Gbps to allow transmission of uncompressed HD videos of 1920 x1080p60 almost without any delay perceived. This is particularly suitable for interactive HD videos and game applications. The existing 2.4GHz band will not be able to continuously transmit video packets.Multi-core, diverse, and flexible architectures for either Windows RT or AndroidAccording to Rene Hass from Nvidia, ongoing enhancement of mobility for devices is critical to sustaining growth of the IT industry. It is Hass' forecast that a new model that integrates tablet, notebook, and cell phone appearances into one will appear and become a trendsetter. The best solution to PC mobility is the tablets with ARM architecture Tegra 3 in conjunction with Windows RT (RunTime) that supports touch control. Such new generation tablets operate as smoothly as x86 architecture mobile devices when running packaged software, browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing 3D games, but they have a longer battery life than x86 architecture mobile devices and are quiet enough because they do not require fan ventilation.According to Amit Rohatgi from MIPS, MIPS is the first company in the world that launched the tablet CPU for Android 4.0 ICS, a leader of digital home applications, and enjoys a gradually increasing share in the market of mobile devices. MIPS now provides entry-level microAptive, medium-level interAptive, and high-end ProAptive CPUs for mobile device development based on individual manufacturers' market positioning, pricing, and product functions. Consumers, OEM companies, SoC suppliers, and telecom carriers now have even more choices because of MIPS in addition to Intel and ARM architectures.Consumer-driven innovations from upstream to downstream of cloudAccording to Dan Inbar from SanDisk, signal delay has happened to online video playing, and the issue can be resolved by adding Flash I/O to upstream servers to balance CPU and disk I/O resources; implementing bandwidth allocation transfer as well as smart cache download and smart transfer to Wi-Fi on access networks; and implementing nCache in mobile devices to speed up their operation. Flash memory companies need to simultaneously master controllers, firmware algorithm, and flash memory access to achieve system integration and make good use of the capacity strengths of wafer foundries. By doing so, they will be able to focus on the increasingly higher requirements for the capacity and speed of storage device and have a head start in developing relevant solutions.According to IFA Director Jens Heithecker, Apple's global leadership is all associated with the company's innovation that grasps consumer needs and wants. IFA, which takes place at the end of every August or the beginning of every September at Messe Berlin, is a major exhibition and gathering for manufacturers and trade companies of consumer electronics from around the world. Heithecker admitted that Europe has to face up to the debt crises in Greek, Ireland, and Spain but such crises do not amount to an economic crisis in the whole Europe. According to Heithecker, Europe is the world's largest market of consumer electronics while IFA is the world's most important place where orders for consumer electronics are placed. The orders placed at IFA 2011 total US$4.8 billion. He invited the Taiwan media and companies to take part in IFA in order to grasp consumer needs and wants.Demand for HMD and micro protectors brought in by LCoS and OLEDoSAccording to Darwin Hu from Jasper Display, by 2015 consumers would become picky about the quality of full HD and start to pursue a better experience such as QHDTV and even UHDTV. Moreover, they would look for HD viewing anytime and anywhere. On-Silicon Microdisplays are applicable to desktops, digital cameras/video cameras and recorders, wavelength selective switches, head-mounted displays (HMD), heads-up display glasses, hologram projectors, pocket projectors, micro projectors for cell phones, projector modules of laptops, office projectors, and home theater projectors.According to Uwe Vogel from the Fraunhofer IPMS, existing silicon display technologies are for the design of micro displays smaller than 1.3 inch and mobile projection displays, while the Fraunhofer IPMS is studying Hypoled that combines micro display and mobile projection display technologies in one. Therefore, Hypoled means "see-through micro display" and "bi-directional micro display" with camera and recorder functions.According to Darwin Hu, an LCoS projector is easily capable of 1080p output in a viewing distance of 50-75 cm. Vogel mentioned an iSTAR project at the IPMS. iSTAR is a near-to-eye display device like sun glasses; its bi-direction silicon micro-display chip lens will be applicable to smartphone-based HMD, electronic view finders, head-mounted microscopes for engineering control and medical purposes, and military spec HMD helmets.Participants are attentive to the trends introduced at "Computex Taipei Digitimes Tech Forum 2012 - Mobile Technology."A total of 869 people signed up for the forum and 486 of them showed up.

Tegra 3 - developed together by Nvidia and ARM - is a brand new multi-core mobile processor with powerful 3D graphic functions for smartphones and tablet devices. Tegra 3 in conjunction with Microsoft's new Windows RT, which supports touch control, generates great synergy to make web browsing, video streaming, and game playing extremely easy. It also offers longer battery life. Tegra 3 is redefining mobile PC architecture, offering an alternative to x86.Ongoing enhancement of device mobility to sustain IT industry growthAccording to Rene Hass, Vice President and General Manager, Notebook Business Unit, Nvidia, ongoing enhancement of mobility for devices is critical to sustaining growth of the IT industry. According to a market survey conducted by Nvidia, the 2008 global shipment of 300 million notebooks exceeded the shipment of 200 million desktops for the first time ever; in 2009 smartphone shipments exceeded notebook shipments; the iPad launch in the second half of 2010 created a new tablet PC market and in 2011, tablet sales exceeded the netbook sales.For desktops, shipments from 2007 to 2014 are expected to remain unchanged at about 200 million per year. Hass forecast that a new model that integrates tablet, notebook, and cell phone appearances into one will appear and become a trendsetter as the shipment of the new model would exceed the shipment of tablets. Haas also noted ARM processors have a 65% share of the overall market and their share in the tablet and smartphone markets is as high as 90%. Supported by Windows RT, ARM is expected to win 50% of the mobile PC market by 2015, when ARM would become as strong as the Android platform.Haas pointed out several important numbers:(1) 2.5 billion, which is the sum of populations in India and China. The sum is about 36% of the global population of seven billion, and China and India now have the strongest economic growth.(2) 10%, which is the Internet penetration rate in India, where there is considerable room for growth.(3) 6%, which refers to the fact that only 6% of the people in China subscribe to 3G mobile communications.(4) 29%, which refers to the present combined market share of e-book readers and tablets, up from merely 2% three years ago.(5) 3X, which means the number of cell phone users is three times that of fixed-line phone users now.(6) 25 billion, which is the number of times that apps on Apple App Store have been downloaded over the past 15 quarters.(7) 1.25 billion, which is number of PCs around the world running Windows.Another explosive growth of tablets driven by Windows RTWhat devices - be they smartphones or tablets - are suitable to replace PCs in the post-PC era? Should such devices run iOS or Android OS? The best solution, according to Haas, would be the tablets with the ARM architecture in conjunction with Windows RT (RunTime) supporting touch control.According to Haas, Windows RT-based tablets have a beautiful design, a modern and clean interface, and are more intuitive. They would also enhance peak execution efficiency with an even faster, smoother streaming OS in order to stay connected anytime for real-time updates of apps from an unprecedented app ecosystem. Moreover, there would be a built-in independent software vendor (ISV) community that has developed for decades in order to provide the greatest opportunity of development from a single platform, while more than 100,000 apps would be announced and available for download.Windows RT-based tablets equipped with the Tegra 3 multi-core processor also make web browsing, video streaming, and gaming playing extremely easy.Tegra 3: the world's only four-plus-one architecture, quad-core mobile processorHaas next introduced Tegra 3, the third-generation mobile processor announced by Nvidia. The max frequency of Quad-Core Tegra 3 is 1.4GHz, with 32KB L1 I-Cache, 32KB L1 D-Cache, 1MB L2 Cache, ARM Cortex A9 Core, and the 5th 1.5GHz battery-saver core forming the Super 4-PLUS-1 Quad Core manufactured by TSMC 40nm process. This Variable SMP architecture enables four performance cores to be used for max burst, when needed, with each core independently and automatically enabled and disabled based on workload. The single battery-saver core (or companion core) handles low-power tasks like active standby, music, and video, and is transparent to the OS and applications.Tegra 3 has 12 texture pipelines built in as well as ULP GeForce GPU to enable simultaneous dual screen output; HDMI 1.4a output; high definition up to 2048 x 1536 for liquid crystal screens and 1920 x1200 for CRT screens; 1920x1080 full HD; video decoding and playing of H.264 (HP @ 40Mbps), VC-1 AP, MPEG2, MPEG-4, DivX 4/5, XviD HT, H.263, Theora, VP8, WMV, Sorenson Spark, Real Video, and VP6; video encoding of H.264, MPEG4, H.263, and VP8 for video teleconferences; audio decoding of AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP3 VBR, WAV/PCM, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, BSAC, MPEG-2 Audio, Vorbis, WMA 9, WMA Lossless, WMA Pro, G.729a, G.711, QCELP, EVRC, etc.Manufactured by TSMC 40nm process, Tegra 3 runs at 1.4GHz and conforms to 3D standards such as OpenES 2.0, Open VG 1.1, and EGL 1.4. Moreover, Tegra 3 has a built-in primary camera/GPU of 32 megapixels as well as a secondary camera/GPU of five megapixels, capable of auto exposure, auto focus, auto white balance, lens shading 9th order, de-mosaic, sharpening, and programmable de-noise to meet the videophone requirements associated with 3.5G/4G smart phones or mobile tablets.Tegra 3 has a DirectTouch architecture built in for the processor to share some touch control processing tasks in order to make touch control more responsive and decrease power consumption. Tegra 3 offers 3D Stereo Gaming, a function for real-time conversion of OpenGL applications and games into Stereo 3D. Nvidia PRISM (Pixel Rendering Intensity and Saturation Management) Display Technology reduces a mobile device's backlight power while simultaneously enhancing the pixel color to deliver the same visual quality with substantially extended battery life.According to Hass, Tegra 3 helps super phones, low-price tablets, smartphones, and Windows RT-based tablets achieve the greatest multitask streaming performance, while running packaged software, web browsing, streaming video, and 3D game playing are as enjoyable as the experience provided by the existing x86 architecture for mobile PCs.Redefinition of mobile PC architectureHass lastly pointed out that mobile PC architecture is being redefined, which is a positive change because the four-plus-one core Tegra 3 can replace x86 processors for mobile PCs. Mobile PC communications used to rely on Wi-Fi, but now cellular mobile communications systems (3G/3.5GWCDMA/4G LTE) are available in addition to Wi-Fi. Touch control input is also available in addition to keyboard and mouse input.The power supply of an x86 architecture mobile PC can only last up to seven hours, but with Tegra 3 the power supply of tablets and super phones can easily last for more than 10 hours. An x86 architecture mobile PC requires fan ventilation, which is noisy and power consuming, while Tegra 3 completely does without fan ventilation. The x86 architecture used to be perceived as indispensable to mobile PC design, but now the ARM-based Tegra 3 SoC in conjunction with Windows RT is probably an alternative and smart solution for mobile PCs.Rene Hass, Vice President and General Manager, Notebook Business Unit, Nvidia

Android is the mainstream platform in the non-Apple camp but various versions of Android limit the possibilities of developers' transplantation of Android apps. Microprocessor heavyweight MIPS is committed to cooperation with Google and OEM companies to help develop a fee calculation mechanism for Google Play, more secure protection of digital copyrights, more open and diverse architecture options, and once-for-all code writing that results in convenience of cross-platform execution. MIPS is also committed to the high performance and low cost provided by the ecosystem of Android devices.Platform transplantation as new thinking for ISVsAccording to Amit Rohatgi, VP of Mobile Solutions, MIPS, Android is now able to support MIPS, Intel, and ARM processor architectures, and near 100% of the codes of apps can probably be transplanted. Dalvik Virtual Machine, which uses Android Core Library, has about 80-85% of Java transplantable and another 15-20% of Java need to be recompiled by Android Native Development Kit (NDK). Even Renderscript functions used by 0.1% of Java are also transplantable (but this is not the subject matter today). Based on functional needs, some contents can be executed on the Java Virtual Machine, while some are executed as native codes. Transplantation is the thinking for Java code development at present, and each procedure has its independent, exclusive virtual machine. Java codes converted into Dalvik Byte Code (dex) are free from hardware dependence and can be transplanted to MIPS, Intel, and ARM architectures completely.Now MIPS, Intel, and ARM all use the standard gcc and bionic libc in the NDK for code compilation. C/C ++ Library can be used and acceleration is enabled by the Java Native Interface (JNI) or direct native execution. Google Play has established an automatic mechanism for architecture screening, so that smartphones and tablets of different architectures are able to have exactly correspondent apps downloaded.Moreover, through the JNI, Android Java classes can use System.loadLibrary to call native classes for execution, while checkJNI provides debugging support. The strength of the JNI lies in its repeatable use of codes to enhance efficacy under certain circumstances, but complication of code writing is an issue and codes may have hardware dependence on specific architectures.Another way to enhance efficacy is to have developers informed by NativeActivity in the Android framework, so that developers are able to know the execution cycle of return from last call. Developers can also perform the return from last call function when there are onCreate(), onStart(), etc. Services and contents other than radio still need to use JNI/native code.Challenges facing Android platform developmentAndy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile, Google, hopes to establish a unified app ecosystem on the Android platform, but the challenges facing Android platform development are various versions of Android, i.e., 2.3, 3.0, and 4.0 and API unification is required; how fees should be calculated; and how SoC suppliers and OEM companies choose a specific version or choose between various versions while factoring copyright protection and an understanding of GPU. As newer Android APIs are increasingly mature for smartphone and tablet applications and have become transplantable, Google has noticed the issue of various versions of Android and started to work towards unification. Many workshops and training programs have been arranged for developers and OEM companies for them to achieve the greatest transplantability. The unification principle for Android enables developers' once-for-all code writing.According to Rohatgi, Amazon App Store's revenue is 89% of that of iTunes App Store, while Google Play only makes 23% of iTunes App Store's revenue. Google Play has recently made some improvements such as blocking malware, providing apps to 130 countries, and announcing expansion of in-app purchasing. Developers can automatically update subscription and pay in lump sum. Last year there were only two direct carriers responsible for billing but there are 15 now.Moreover, apps, books, music, and videos have been vertically integrated into Google Play, whose log-in page has been changed, too. On the other hand, cooperation between MIPS and an OEM partner has launched affordable but high quality Android devices. A MIPS architecture 7-inch tablet is priced at US$79 only. Rohatgi has bought this model for his two children.More options provided by MIPS to SoC suppliers and OEM companiesSupport from different MIPS, Intel, and ARM architectures enriches the choices for SoC suppliers, OEM companies, telecom carriers and consumers. The Android platform allows OEM companies to pursue differentiation such as UI customization; multi-touch panels with different definition options; and multiple CPU, GPU, and GPS cores. There is also a Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) to ensure a consistent user experience across a variety of Android devices. Each app has its exclusive UID to ensure independent maintenance authorization for each app and avoid affecting other apps. For data sharing, users must be clearly informed during app installation. Widevine's Digital Right Management (DRM) provides a unified solution to key content protection. Android provides a graphic acceleration API to developers to enrich user experience, as the software executed by CPU must be optimized in order to smoothly work with GPU.According to an IDC survey of what would make Android tablets successful in July 2011, 62% of the respondents noted the user experience; 46% transplantability from smartphones to tablets; 45% unification of various Android versions; 39% pricing; 33% how many apps on Google Play; and 29% hardware specs. Android will continue its hardware architecture neutrality, API diversity, and a consistent user experience to help lower device costs and accelerate time-to-marketRohatgi concluded that, after tablets and smartphones, Android is going to expand into the markets of set-top boxes (STBs) and smart TV. At present, the brand name companies embrace Android include Motorola, Samsung, LG, Acer, Asus, and Philips, while chipset suppliers are Nvidia, Qualcomm, TI, Ingenic and Rockchip. Many platform and OS versions as well as three CPU architectures (MIPS, Intel and ARM) also support Android. He encouraged developers to embrace differentiation and use Dalvik or NDK r8 for code transplantation.MIPS' contribution to Android platform industryMIPS' contribution to the Android platform industry, according to Rohatgi, is the availability of low-price Android devices with the best licensable microprocessors running Android OS to help everyone enjoy tablets and smartphones. The demand created by MIPS would be an incentive to developers to convert existing contents into new contents that can be widely accepted by the public. There are 1.8 million MIPS microprocessor-based tablets in the market and the number is rapidly increasing.The microprocessors MIPS launched for Android include:(1) The high-end ProAptiv, which is renamed from the firm's existing 1074K and 74K series. It is a fused triple-dispatch single-thread superscalar core and a core-speed floating point unit. With up to six cores can be used for multi-processing, ProAptiv achieves 4.4Coremark/Mhz 3.5DMIPS/MHz.(2) The medium-level interAptiv, which is renamed from the existing 1004K, 34K, and 24K cores with multi-threading, EVA, and one to four cores on a chip. Benchmarks are 3.2CoreMark/MHz and around 1.7Dmips/MHz.(3) The entry-level microAptiv, which is renamed from the M14K series with DSP and micro controller core design. It delivers 3.1Coremark/Mhz and1.57DMIPS/MHz.In May 2012, Google announced NDK Release 8 to start to support MIPS ABI. With the complete support from Android 4.0, MIPS codes are directly submitted to Google for review and approval and then placed on Google Play. A total of 85% of apps can be executed on MIPS architecture devices, and workshops such as Gameloft, Rovio, Halfbrick, Opera, Marmalade, Xamarin and Unity now help transplant Android apps.In 2009 MIPS first launched its quasi tablet running Android; in 2010 the company launched its set-top box also running Android.In the second half of 2010, Google licensed Honetcomb (Android v3.0) to MIPS, which launched the world's first ever Android 4.0 ICS-based, MIPS architecture tablets in cooperation with a Chinese company in December 2011. The tablet runs at 1GHz and its retail price is only US$99. In 2012, Philips announced its 100% CTS-certified, MIPS architecture tablets in China. At present MIPS is a leader of digital home applications, and the company's share in the mobile device market is gradually increasing.Amit Rohatgi, VP of Mobile Solutions, MIPS Technologies

As cloud computing is becoming more prevalent, anytime and anywhere Internet connectivity is becoming the standard for consumers, which has caused IT vendors to dedicate their research to making portable, mobile products. In recent years, Intel has been promoting the ultrabook which is less than 0.8 inches thick, costs less than US$1,000, and can be turned on and connected to the Internet at fast speeds, making it the next wave of ultra-mobile products in the market. The ultrabook along with smartphones that have large-sized screens and tablets are all following the ultra-mobile trend.As the ultra-mobile trend continues to flourish, existing components, chassis, mechanical parts, energy efficiency and industrial design have been constantly reexamined and restructured to satisfy product developers' demand for thinner and lighter devices. This is creating new technological barriers.Against this backdrop, Digitimes held the "DTF 2012 Ultra Mobile & Ecosystem Forum" in Taipei on April 25, inviting leading firms in the IT industry such as Intel, DTS, NXP, MPT, Kingston, Asus and AUO to talk about ultra-mobile trends in the industry ranging from platform planning, systems, multimedia, the Internet, power sources, mechanical parts, display panels as well as many other topics.There was also a stand put up at the forum to display some of the latest products and technologies, and it is hoped that through the forum it could help industries learn more as well as create ultra-mobile products.Rethinking brand meaning and value: Economies of scale, orders and the popularity of AppleColley Hwang, president at Digitimes, revealed that he asked Steve Ballmer what "MIT" meant to him about a year ago when the Microsoft chief executive officer was in Taiwan. Ballmer's answer was "Microsoft, Intel and Taiwan." However, despite Microsoft and Intel reporting record high revenues, Taiwan's electronics industry barely grew last year.IT players have previously relied on big orders and mass production of products to help with operations in the financial market. But this strategy has come under increasing since Apple's iPad whirlwind in 2010. In the past "PC" meant personal computer, but now it means "Price below Cost."In an era where pricing competition is fierce, Amazon is using a subsidized hardware sales model to promote its Kindle products. When world-class companies such as Microsoft, Qualcomm and Google leave Taiwan with a market with limited gross profits, we may ask these companies to lower their license fees, said Hwang. But then, we will still have to face the situation where we have no way of using products' added-value as a means to raise the price of a PC to US$1,200 when others can attach a US$1,000 retail price tag on their devices whose product cost is only US$600.The IT market has already seen big changes. For example, 40% of IT revenues used to come during the first half of a year followed by 60% in the second half. That has changed since 2008. Last year China surpassed the US to become the largest PC market. Although Korea has industry advantages, its foreign debts have increased more than US$80 billion since 2008. Its industry structure is not too healthy. By the end of 2011, the 800 companies that were listed in Taiwan reported a total of nearly US$446 billion in revenues, and 15 of them individually reported more than US$10 billion.Moreover, brand value has also been experiencing "qualitative change." Seven out of 10 major notebook brands in 2011 were Asia-based, but only Taiwan-based Asustek and China-based Lenovo earned profits. Acer is expected to turn losses into profits in the second quarter of 2012.Compared with Apple, which manages to have high profits and high market shares by maintaining only a simple product line, major PC makers try to appeal to consumers with multiple and complex product lines with different features for different market and price segments. But their profitability has been far from being ideal. The success of Apple's minimalistic product strategy indicates that there needs to be major changes in strategy within the PC industry.Striving for resources and the right to speak to enhance Taiwan's IT industryHwang said that industry competition has given much emphasis on patents and market share but for brand vendors, their products have not brought them much meaning and value. One example is with Samsung's consumer electronic products. Even though it has been one of the largest CE brands in the world, its profit margin isn't even 2%, which is inferior to Taiwan contract manufacturers.There are 800 listed companies in Taiwan, forming a big army for the IT supply chain. In terms of the ultrabook, Intel's technology is not the only thing that matters. Attention still needs to be drawn to the eco-system of the related supply chain. Of the US$345 billion China reported in exports during 2010, Taiwan-based entrepreneurs made up two thirds and created more than US$280 billion in production value last year in China as well. Looking at the monumental role Taiwan has been playing in the IT world, we absolutely have the right to require Intel and other world-class companies to give us more resources and assistance, added Hwang.Hwang concluded that in the development of the world's civilization, Europe, Asia and Africa have always had equal importance. Europe started to flourish after the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. In the future, populations will become an important strategic resource with the rise of cloud computing and Eastern civilization will again become a dominant force. Taiwan's companies and industries need to constantly enrich their knowledge in the face of future trends.The DTF 2012 Ultra Mobile & Ecosystem Forum attracts hundreds of participants.Digitimes president Colley Hwang delivers a talk on how the ultra mobile eco-system can recreate Taiwan's IT industries.

Within the field of optical sensors, vendors are dedicated to using CMOS process to develop all kinds of smart sensors for detecting ambient background lighting, LED colors, personnel distance and UV, which not only allows smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and displays to have more interactions with people, but also reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions.Speaking at the recent DTF 2012 Ultra Mobile & Ecosystem Forum, Campella Microsystems president and CEO, Dr. Cheng-chung Shih, first introduced the company stating that it was established in August 2002 and that it has focused mostly on ambient light sensors (ALSs), infrared data transmission, optical encoders, PDICs, proximity sensors, color sensors and UV sensors.At present, Campella's ambient light sensors and proximity sensors are used in communication products, mobile phones, smartphones, digital cameras, notebooks, desktop computers, LED backlight modules, automated office products, household appliances and automotive electronics. The company's products are mostly found in mid-range and high-end market segments and are being used by Dell, LG, Taiwan- and Korean-based smartphone vendors' supply chains and its lights sensors have also been certified for Windows 8.Campella was originally involved with optical fiber and optical communication sensor components. In its early stages it developed integrated photo diode and I/V amplifiers (PDICs) that used analog IC designs combined with CMOS process and optoelectronic system technology. It create high-speed, high-sensitivity and high-bandwidth PDICs such as CM1212P2SA, CM1277P2ZM and CM1286P2SA (PD+TIA) for use in CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMS, CD-RWs and combo drives and later in IrDA (Infrared Data Association) transmissions, plastic optical fibers and ambient light sensors.Optical encoders such as CM7020W1, 7150/7151/7152W1, CM7181/7182W1, CM7300AW1 and CW7300 276LPI can be used for motor speed detection and positioning control. IrDA components such as CM2811W1 have allowed PDAs, smartphones and notebooks to act as remote controls and low- to mid-speed data transmission applications, making it a popular and low-cost data transmission technology for early mobile devices.Smart color adjustment for TV and better UV protection Campella's color sensor chips such as the CM3320 are used in LCD TVs and monitors and the color sensor chips made using advanced CMOS process not only sense color temperature changes, but also automatically adjust to the best color temperatures available for a screen, allowing it to reach the most optimal white balance. This gives LCD TVs and monitors the best white balance and color performance no matter what the conditions may be. Take 22-68W as an example, the color sensors can help smart TVs save 67% on power consumption, which is why Campella's color sensor is used in Japan- and Korean-made LCD TVs.Campella has also developed the CM3512 UV sensor for cell phones. Very often the outdoor light does not seem very bright, but the UV level may be already very high. Ordinary light sensors may not be able to determine the accurate UV levels. Campella uses an CMOS process to provide high-quality and low-cost UV monitor solutions that are able to accurately measure UV levels in terms of the UV Index, which is good for reminding customers, especially female ones, to take appropriate UV protection. These solutions have been adopted by several major smartphone vendors.Ambient light sensor technology and smart adjustments for display panel backlighting Shih said ALSs form the biggest segment of the company's light sensor product portfolio. ALSs can automatically adjust a display panel's backlighting brightness in accordance with changes in an environment's lighting and can maintain the most optimal lighting levels along with lower power consumption for LCD displays. Campella's existing CM3202, 3204, 3206, 3212, 3213, 3217, 3218, 3220 and the latest CM3232 ALS chips all use Filtron patented technology that provides linear output and temperature compensation to avoid outside ambient light interference. Shih added that ALSs are slowly becoming components that all cell phone makers are using, and that proximity sensors are also being used in cell phones. When the user is talking on the cell phone, the proximity sensor will turn off the cell phone screen and its touch capabilities, which saves power and extends battery life, added Shih. Long distance proximity sensors (LDPSs) on the other hand are used in LCD TVs, monitors, all-in-one (AIO) PCs, and can even detect personnel attendance as well as hand and body movements. Without any connections or contact, the LDPSs can automatically turn on and off devices, have dynamic control of speaker volume and keyboard backlighting. If a person leaves a device, it will automatically turn off by itself and will turn back on once that person is back near it. The speaker volume can be adjusted through an earpiece sensor via this technology as well. Campella also provides software programming, which greatly reduces clients' time for product development.Smart optical sensors for tabletsMost tablet users, whether they are holding a tablet in a landscape or portrait position, will inevitably have their fingers touch the sides of the tablet or even cover the sensor. If the tablet's sensor is not advanced enough, it will assume that it is being covered with a case and will then turn off. Therefore, the smart Lid Cover Sensor (LCS) is the best solution.Campella's LCSs use the company's patented technology which can detect the difference between the thin lid of a table that completely blocks off light, and the finger that still allows a small amount of light to pass through. With Campella's smart LCS, a device, such as the iPad, can be switched off quickly when the lid is closed, and will not be switched off inadvertently when touched by a finger. The CM36262 combines the functions of the ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and smart optical lid sensor using Campella's patented Dual Filtron technology to directly transmit digital signals to the digital signal processor through embedded 8-bit or 16-built digital converters. There is also a built-in low-pass filter to avoid external interference from affecting product performance.It can read wavelengths of 450-650nm, simulate the light sensory levels in the human eye, and automatically adjust backlighting to make peoples' eyes feel comfortable as well as saving energy. The proximity sensor can accurately detect objects nearby, which are applied in cell phones for turning off the screen and touch functions during a phone call. In addition, smart LCSs used on tablets can differentiate finger touch and hand grips from the devices' lids, allowing smart automatic control of the power.Optical sensors for smart LED lighting Shih also noted that Campella has developed a DC/DC RGBA LED controller chip enabling direct lighting feedback in LED lighting fixtures and lighting equipment. It uses the highly-integrated, wafer-level Filtron technology. Through I2C smart control it is able to directly make adjustments and feedbacks directly based on the light source to create the best energy efficiency. Aside from possessing accurate color adjustment and lighting levels as well as having O-Trim for consistency, it is able to avoid overheating and aging.Shih concluded that with its most advanced CMOS process technology, Campella is able to provide superb color reactions, 2000-6500K color temperature compensation, excellent linear output signals, and avoids light flickering. It is the best CMOS process solution ready for volume production. Shih added that the next industrial revolution will create a new era where sensors are found in all smart connected devices. Campella is on the forefront of the sensor field, and it will go beyond optoelectronics to create all kinds of sensors.Campella Microsystems president and CEO, Dr. Cheng-chung Shih

In order to create light and ultra-thin ultra-mobile devices, panel makers are looking to thin down their LCD and touch displays to as small a mere 0.1mm, which is a major task. In addition, when ultra-thin, transparent and flexible OLED panel technology becomes more common, mobile device designers will be able to utilize the thin panels to look even more different.Speaking at the recent DTF 2012 Ultra Mobile & Ecosystem Forum, AU Optronics (AUO) vice president & mobile product career group general manager, Wu Dagang, first played a short film depicting the future of display technology applications. In the film, a group of students sitting at an outdoor and discussing academics. One of students takes out a display device that resembles a transparent plastic plate. Not only can the device display clear images and videos, it is also flexible and bendable. A burst of wind then blows the display device together with a pile of paper to the ground; however, because of its thin, flexible and tough material, the device doesn't break. Another student comes to the intersection on a bicycle where the device has flown to, picks it up, clicks on the panel GPS's navigation option and gets directions. This is the new generation of flexible displays that AUO would like to introduce.Returning back to his presentation, Wu talked about handsets and how they compare with present ones, saying that handsets were invented only 20 years ago and were as large as a kettle, whereas today, they can be held and controlled with one hand and can easily fit into a pocket. When a device's limitation has been changed, its technology creates many new demands, added Wu.Device requirements: From movable, to mobile to 'pocketable'Wu said when cloud computing and services become more widely accepted, all things can be shared, stored and accessed through a centralized server. More so, people will expect portable and mobile devices to be "pocketable." The most classic representation of this notion is the increase in mobility from personal desktop computers to notebook computers, and then from ordinary mobile phones to smartphones. But we still hope that devices can be even smaller, be pocketable, and able to access information anytime and anywhere.The benefits of having a slimmer display panel are that it can increase battery capacity and battery life. The progress of existing lithium battery technology is rather slow but indispensable and its power storage capacity and supply time is proportional to the battery size. If an LCD module thickness is reduced by 25%, the leftover space will allow lithium capacity to be increased by 10%. If a smartphone has a 1,200-mAH lithium polymer battery, an extra 120mAH is equivalent to adding power enough for two hours of video watching, added Wu.Another benefit is weight reduction. When a display panel's LCD module thickness is reduced by 10%, the weight of the whole device can be reduced by 15%, and will further push devices to become slimmer. Aside from Apple products having a simple-to-use interface, stylish designs are also selling points. A few years ago there was more emphasis on product features and specifications, but now that emphasis has gradually transformed into daily-life applications and even into stylish design products for women.Flexible and bendable disaplay panel designs According to statistics, 20% of mobile phones that are sent back for repair are due to screen rupture. To make display panels that are thin and not easy to break, in fact, is a challenge as the two features conflict with one another. AUO's Slim Solution targets four main areas: OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, slim touch solutions, flexible and bendable solutions and slim modules. Making OLEDs is a very delicate process and the thin display technology is very forward-looking and revolutionary.Wu further elaborated that since LCD itself cannot emit light, it needs a filter glass coupled with a reflective sheet, which will increase thickness by at least 1.5mm. OLED on the other hand is a self-luminous device that can be reduced the 1.5mm. LCD modules also have the possibility of becoming thinner. Slim touch solutions allow touch panels to reduce the two-glass structure to a one-piece structure, and then become in-cell touch that further reduces the thickness by 0.4-0.5mm.Ultrabook further drives panel thinness Intel estimates that 40% of laptops will use the same standards as its ultrabook in the future, and that 10% of notebooks sold in 2012 will be ultrabooks.Generally a notebook's cover thickness is 19-30mm, whereas the ultrabook's has dropped to 18-19mm and has a total body thickness of 21mm for 14-inch and above models and 18mm for models below 14 inches. The display module has also been significantly reduced in thickness to 3mm and is expected to drop to 2.8mm by 2013.Taiwan-based companies have a positive attitude toward the ultrabook. Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, along with other vendors have ultrabook products, indicating that the ultra-thin notebook will be an important selling point in the second half of this year.The iPad is also becoming thinner. The first generation iPad had a thickness of 13.4mm, with a 3mm thick display panel; the second generation iPad2 saw the body thickness reduced to 8.8mm with a 2.5mm ultra-thin panel.Key components of ultra-thin display panelsA display panel is composed of ITO, CF and TFT array glass on the upper layer, and film, LED/LGP components on the lower layer. First, the glass thickness has gone from 1.1mm 25 years ago all the way to 0.5mm at present and is predicted to drop to 0.3mm for tablets and 0.2mm for mobile phones in the future. In addition, light guide plates (LGPs) used in notebooks will have a thickness of 0.6mm from the present 0.8mm, whereas LGPs used in tablets will drop to 0.4mm. Notebook LED backlights will drop from 0.8mm to 0.6mm as well while tablet-use LED backlights will have a thickness of 0.4mm, a drop from 0.6mm.AUO has key technology to solve the problem of luminosity when the current density is increased. AUO can reduce the thickness of LGP/LED components without increasing the current density.In terms of touch panels, older cell phones adopted the glass-film (G/F) structure and tablets adopted a glass/glass (G/G) one. What once was G/G later became the one-glass solution (OGS) and then in-cell touch, with the sensor layer located between the CF and TFT array.At present, AUO's thinner G/G structure has a cover glass of 0.7-0.55mm and sensor glass of 0.4mm, reducing the overall thickness by 1.2mm, and can be used in notebooks, all-in-one PCs and tablets. OGS can be reduced to a thickness of 0.4mm and can be used in tablets and 27-inch flat-panel displays. Wu estimates that 5 to 10% of ultrabook shipments this year will have built-in touch.Wu added that designs of flexible displays and touch screens, as well as notebooks and digital cameras that have no protective glass, must adopt in-cell touch. The technology is compatible with existing TFT panel processing and only a few more steps need to be added for producing the sensor layer. However, currently it will be more suitable for touch panels of six inches and smaller due to the noise issue of in-cell technology.AUO displays AMOLED panels, challenging Samsung's dominance of the technologyWu also mentioned that last year the Samsung Galaxy S2 used an 8.49mm AMOLED panel to make the world's thinnest cell phone; but this year at the CES 2012 exhibition, China-based Huawei and Japan-based Fujitsu exhibited their Ascend P1S and F-07D handsets that are 6.68mm and 6.7mm in thickness, respectively, due to AMOLED panels that were used in the designs. According to data from DisplaySearch and TSR, up to 127-201 million AMOLED panels will be shipped in 2012, and approximately 320-455 million panels by 2016.Last year at the FPD 2011, AUO exhibited its 4.3-inch qHD (540x960, 257ppi) high-resolution AMOLED panel, its 4-inch WVGA (800x400) AMOLED with on-cell touch, and its 6-inch transparent AMOLED panel. Technology for thinning AMOLED panels has gone from 1.2 mm in the form of encapsulation glass coupled with TFT OLED glass, to 0.6mm in the single-glass type that has an encapsulation film and TFT OLED glass, and further to only 0.3mm in a bendable, water-proof and anti-shock form adopting TFT OLED films. Moreover, at the FPD 2011 AUO displayed a plastic film-designed 4-inch VGA (640x480) high-resolution flexible AMOLED display that is 0.3mm thick.Wu concluded that AUO offers a full range of thin panels and modules, and provides a full range of 3-27 inch OGS touch panels. He also said flexible AMOLED is the future trend for smartphones, and that embedded touch technology will add to the flexibility of displays.Photo: AU Optronics (AUO) vice president & mobile product career group general manager, Wu Dagang